Cliff Lee Rumors: Wednesday
9:25pm: An AL GM told ESPN.com's Buster Olney that he believes the Twins could acquire Lee with a package built around prospect Wilson Ramos. Rival GMs believe the Rangers may be better off holding onto their prospects than acquiring Lee.
4:15pm: The Mariners have not started making counter offers for Lee, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney. Rival executives remind Olney that the Mariners may want to deal soon, since an injury would deflate Lee's trade value (all Twitter links)
3:37pm: The Mets, Yankees, Rangers and Phillies appeared to be the only teams scouting Lee last night, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The Twins and Dodgers were among the interested teams that did not attend, but it is early and Lee is a known commodity, so the lack of scouts hardly means there's a lack of interest.
10:11am: The Mariners will require a blue-chip prospect in a Cliff Lee trade, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post, even though the last two Lee trades may not have included one. Sherman suggests the Mets want Lee badly, while the Yankees would just like the Ms to "keep them posted."
Sherman explains that the Mariners like, but don't love, Mets pitching prospect Jenrry Mejia. He feels that a Mets trade would have to be built around Mejia or Wilmer Flores. The Mets are willing to trade Flores in a Lee deal, reports Matthew Cerrone of MetsBlog. They're reluctant to part with other top prospects. The Mets would like to trade for a starting pitcher as soon as possible, but Cerrone says the Mariners prefer to wait until after the All-Star break to trade Lee.
From the Yankees side, Sherman recommends they make Jesus Montero available. They've done so before when Lee and Roy Halladay were on the trade market. Sherman also notes that the Mariners like Yankees Double A second baseman David Adams. Baseball America ranked Adams 22nd among Yankees prospects heading into the season, and he sports a .309/.393/.507 line at Trenton. Should the Yanks prefer to pursue Lee as a free agent, Bill Madden of the New York Daily News learned that old friend C.C. Sabathia would be happy to help recruit.
In a longer blog post, Sherman elaborates on what Lee would mean for the Mets, what the Mariners will require, and how prospects are overvalued these days.
Mets Not Interested In Millwood, Westbrook
The Mets want to acquire starting pitching, but they’re interested in arms like Cliff Lee and Ted Lilly, not mid-rotation types. Andy Martino of the New York Daily News reports that the Mets are now content with R.A. Dickey and Hisanori Takahashi and are not interested in Kevin Millwood or Jake Westbrook.
The Mets have not yet had detailed discussions with the Mariners about a possible Lee deal, but GM Omar Minaya is willing to part with top prospects once he knows which ones the Mariners covet. ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reported today that the Mariners have not yet started telling teams which players interest them. The Mariners like Jenrry Mejia according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, so the injured pitcher could figure into talks if and when they begin.
If the Mets do not acquire Lee, they could try to pry Ted Lilly away from the Cubs. The Mets believe Oswalt is available, though they’re reluctant to take on tens of millions in salary and hand the Astros top prospects.
A Look At Wilmer Flores
Mets shortstop prospect Wilmer Flores may figure prominently into the Cliff Lee trade rumors of the next few weeks. Let's learn more about him.
Flores was ranked second among Mets prospects by Baseball America heading into the season, behind only Jenrry Mejia. He placed 41st on Keith Law's top 100 list for ESPN - one spot above Twins catching prospect Wilson Ramos. BA, with more of an industry consensus approach, ranked him 88th. Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus ranked him 84th. All of these rankings were compiled before the season, and Flores' stock has only risen.
Flores started the season at Low A Savannah, and despite being in the midst of a cold streak was promoted to High A St. Lucie recently. Though he's only 18 years old, and will be until August, Flores is raking in a tiny 28 plate appearance sample since the promotion.
Reading the opinions of the experts mentioned above, Flores is a special bat who will develop power. He is almost certainly going to move off shortstop, and Law doesn't see him at third base either. He does have a good arm, leading Goldstein to view him as a future right fielder. The prospect gurus seem most impressed that he's holding his own against much older competition.
According to Goldstein, Flores is "at least three years and a position switch away" from the Majors. Is he too far off to headline a deal for Cliff Lee? John Hickey of AOL FanHouse sees the Mariners seeking players who can make an impact around 2012, particularly outfielders and left-handed starters.
Odds & Ends: White Sox, Lee, Pomeranz, Ripken
Another round of links, as Nick Swisher prevents Cliff Lee's trade value from getting too high…
- GM Kenny Williams told Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times that the White Sox aren't desperate for anything right now.
- Reporters asked Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik about Lee, but Zduriencik just repeated that the Mariners are focusing on winning as many games as possible, according to Larry Stone of the Seattle Times.
- MLB.com's Todd Zolecki reports that the Phillies have a scout at tonight's Yankees-Mariners game, though it could be part of the scout's normal coverage.
- ESPN.com's Buster Olney hears that Mets infielder Ruben Tejada would not be enough to anchor a deal for Lee, but prospect Wilmer Flores could be (Twitter links). Earlier today, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes looked at the Mets' ability to acquire Lee without giving up Jenrry Mejia.
- Now that the Indians have given first rounder Drew Pomeranz his physical, they're one step closer to starting negotiations with the left-hander, according to MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince.
- Cal Ripken Jr. told Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun that he may take a job in the Orioles organization. So could Ripken become the team's next manager? No.
- Many players read MLBTR, but something tells me Adam Dunn isn't one of them. He told Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post that he hates trade rumblings when he's involved in them. The Nationals are open to making deals and teams are interested in Dunn.
Mets Sign Michael Barrett
The Mets signed Michael Barrett to a minor league deal, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. The catcher will report to class A Port St. Lucie and will likely be promoted to Triple A Buffalo within a few weeks, according to Rubin.
Barrett, 33, hit 16 homers three consecutive times for the Cubs from 2004-06, never posting an OPS below .824 in that time. He hasn't been nearly as productive since the Cubs traded him to the Padres midway through the 2007 season, but he still has a .263/.320/.422 career line. Barrett appeared in the majors briefly last year, backing up Rod Barajas for the Blue Jays. If he plays well in the minors and the Mets call on Barrett, he will once again be backing up Barajas.
Rosenthal On Cliff Lee, MacDougal, Dunn, Valentine
Cliff Lee starts tonight at Yankee stadium, and it figures to be one of his last outings in a Mariners uniform. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports leads his column with an examination of the market for Lee, noting that "the acquisition cost should be lower than the last two times he was traded." Rosenthal sees no obvious favorite for the lefty at this time, though Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times believes "the buzz about a possible deal with the crosstown Mets is growing louder and louder." Rosenthal's other rumorage:
- The Nationals have until Thursday to decide whether to promote Mike MacDougal. Otherwise, he can elect free agency. The hard-throwing righty has a 4.71 ERA, 5.6 K/9, and 4.7 BB/9 in 21 minor league innings.
- Rosenthal confirms other reports that the White Sox and Angels like Nationals slugger Adam Dunn. He notes that Dunn "does not want to become a DH."
- One executive feels that Jose Guillen will continue to hit well with the contract year carrot dangling. Yesterday we learned from ESPN's Buster Olney that the Royals are pushing hard to move Guillen and will eat much of the $6.3MM remaining on his contract. As for David DeJesus, an exec told Rosenthal the Royals "want to hit a home run" in any trade.
- The Giants seek stability in their left-handed relief crew (currently Jeremy Affeldt and Dan Runzler), but the need could be addressed internally.
- The Cardinals "likely will wait until at least the All-Star break to fully assess their needs." The starting pitching situation will depend on the recoveries of Brad Penny and Kyle Lohse.
- At another link, Rosenthal updates the Bobby Valentine-Marlins situation.
Odds & Ends: A-Rod, Beltre, Athletics, Rockies
Links for Tuesday, as Tigers reliever Casey Fien returns to the Majors after spending the offseason in waiver wire hell…
- The home run milestone incentives in Alex Rodriguez's contract were the brainchild of Warren Buffett, writes Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News. The milestones start with home run #660; A-Rod currently has 594.
- WEEI's Alex Speier has the interesting story of the Dodgers signing Adrian Beltre in 1994 at age 15 by way of falsified documents, including the player's recollection of the situation. I swapped emails with Fred Claire, who was Dodgers GM at the time. Claire takes responsibility for the incident, but "had no awareness that Beltre's birth date had been altered in any way, shape or form" and "would never have approved such an act."
- Joe Stiglich of the Contra Costa Times talked with scouts about the Athletics' trade chips. At least one scout prefers Ben Sheets to Kevin Millwood.
- Dave Cameron's presciption for the Rockies in this FanGraphs article: move Brad Hawpe to first base and acquire Dan Uggla. Another good read from Cameron is his takedown of the theory that Russell Branyan will bring protection for other Mariners hitters. Speaking of Branyan, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says Seattle's acquisition "stunned" rival executives.
- Mike Axisa of River Ave. Blues looks at Octavio Dotel as a potential Yankees trade target, and prefers they do not pursue a reunion.
- Howard Megdal of SNY is "reluctant to deal any significant part of the Mets' future for a rental of Cliff Lee." Megdal feels that the team's window to win extends beyond 2010.
Could Mets Acquire Cliff Lee Without Mejia?
Will Jenrry Mejia's posterior cuff strain prevent the Mets from trading for Mariners ace Cliff Lee? GM Omar Minaya obviously could not talk specifically about Lee when asked by Kevin Kernan of the New York Post "if the Mejia setback is a setback to trade possibilities." But Minaya kept a brave face and replied, "I don’t think so because I think we have other very good possibilities." At least one of Minaya's current players does think the team lost its chance to acquire Lee with Mejia's injury, according to Kernan.
Maybe there is a chance, given Ken Rosenthal's June 19th report for FOX Sports suggesting the Mariners want young hitters in return for Lee. At that time Rosenthal didn't think the Mets would be willing to give up Ike Davis to rent Lee. John Hickey of AOL FanHouse wrote yesterday about a consensus among Mariners insiders that the team should add talent around the Double A level in a Lee deal. More specifically, outfielders and lefthanded starters would be a good fit.
In my opinion, the Mets probably couldn't swing a Lee trade with Fernando Martinez as the centerpiece. He's hitting .248/.299/.397 at Triple A currently. Starter Brad Holt is struggling at Double A, though second baseman Reese Havens was raking before hitting the DL with an oblique injury. We heard from Rosenthal on June 7th that the Mets are high on infielder Ruben Tejada, enough that they would be reluctant to include him in a Roy Oswalt trade. In a June 23rd article, Mark Hale of the New York Post found the Mets unlikely to include Mejia, Davis, or Jonathon Niese in a Lee offer. He opined that the Mets would have to build the deal around names like Tejada, Martinez, Wilmer Flores, Jeurys Familia, and Josh Thole. From where I'm sitting, the Mets don't seem like the team that will ultimately make the best offer for Lee.
Mets’ Targets Include Cliff Lee, Ted Lilly
The Mets will be in on Seattle ace Cliff Lee – that appears certain. Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that Omar Minaya has notified Jack Zduriencik of his interest, and the Mets are scouting Lee's starts.
Contrary to a Kevin Burkhardt report last night, Sherman says the Mets "would not need a negotiating window to sign Lee long-term even if it includes top prospect Jenrry Mejia in a package." However, between the injuries to potential trade chips Mejia and Angel Pagan and the ownership approval needed to pull the trigger, Minaya faces hurdles in acquiring Lee.
Sherman writes "the Mets have little interest" in Roy Oswalt and Fausto Carmona. Instead, Cubs southpaw Ted Lilly might head up their list of Lee alternatives. Lilly has been excellent since signing a four-year, $40MM deal with the Cubs in December of '06. The contract has about $6.4MM remaining. Though Lilly profiles as a Type A free agent after the season, an arbitration offer is in question. I doubt Lilly's limited no-trade provision will be an obstacle, as he's probably eager to return to the playoffs. The Cubs have about a month to decide whether to cash in their chips, and Lilly is their best one.
Mets Won’t Deal Mejia Without Negotiating Window
The Mets aren't ready to deal Jenrry Mejia in a package for Cliff Lee unless Lee gives them a negotiating window, according to Kevin Burkhardt of SNY (via Twitter). Recently, it was reported that the Mets would be unlikely to deal Mejia, Jonathon Niese, or Ike Davis for the 2008 Cy Young winner.
Burkhardt adds (also via Twitter) that the Mets could change their minds on the matter. However, if Seattle is willing to deal Lee sooner rather than later, there may not be much time to have a change of heart. The Twins and Dodgers are also said to be in the mix for Lee and could beat GM Omar Minaya to the punch. Many feel that Minnesota is the front-runner in the Lee sweepstakes.